Cheltenham School District facilities staff on the committee’s April meeting described several recent repairs across the district and flagged the Cedar Brook track for a near-term fix and a larger future replacement.

Facilities team presenter said, “First is the was a repair to the cooling tower at Glenside,” describing a failed fan motor that required “significant repair” and noting the district has seen “quite a bit of HVAC repair work” over the past year. The team also reported a mechanical water leak in a high school boiler room that was contained to the basement and did not affect classrooms.

The most-discussed item was the Cedar Brook track. Facilities staff said heavy community and school use has worn the top layer down to the underlayment; a contractor patched the surface to keep this season’s events on schedule. The presentation estimated a preliminary cost of roughly $100,000 for redoing the top layer to extend the track’s life. Staff warned that a full scrape-and-replace could cost “a half million dollar plus” and that a $100,000 resurfacing would likely extend useful life by “another couple years, 3 to 4 years.”

Committee members and community commenters stressed maintenance and permitted use as contributing factors. Facilities staff acknowledged the track had been “neglected” in annual maintenance and said staff are checking facility-use permits to confirm outside programs using the track are authorized. Community member Tara Knotts said several organized youth programs use the track daily and urged permitting or fencing to limit unauthorized access so preserve the surface.

On parking and pavement, staff showed photos of asphalt patching at the high school and recommended planning for a future top-layer grind and repave; last year’s work was described as a seal coat rather than a permanent fix. The facilities presenter said the district had not yet established whether portions of the roadway adjacent to the lot are an easement or wholly district-owned and recommended further investigation before pursuing a major paving project.

The committee approved the March meeting minutes by motion from Daniel Schultz and a second from Robin Murphy, with an aye voice vote. No formal actions were taken on projects discussed; staff said the repairs were maintenance responses and that major capital work would come through the district’s capital planning process.

The presentation closed with staff saying routine maintenance and stricter enforcement of permit use are immediate steps the district will take to limit further accelerated wear on athletic and parking surfaces.